I think we can all agree that Autumn can be one of the most magical seasons of the year, especially here in the beautiful High Weald countryside. It's hard to beat crisp cool morning walks, lighting the first fire, and the golden light in the evenings as the sun starts to set earlier and earlier.

Despite all of the beauty surrounding us this season, vineyard enthusiasts have a slightly different perspective, one of complete suspense and open-ended decision making.

With the fairly persistent rain and lack of sun this Autumn, the grapes in the UK have been much slower to ripen, leaving us all with some of the latest harvests seen to date. We are aiming for maximum ripeness and flavour, but the longer we leave the grapes on the vine, risks such as mould and being eaten by birds or badgers increase. 

We have set up a booming bird gun for several weeks to fend off the birds (picture the scene on Mary Poppins every time 'Admiral Boom' shoots his cannon!). We could not be more grateful to our neighbours for their patience with the sound.

How do we know the grapes are ready to pick? Tom, one of the Co-owners at Birchden Vineyards regularly sends samples to our Winemaker Ben at Itasca Wines. Ben checks the acid and sugar levels of the grapes and when they are at the optimal levels he tells us to harvest. This gives the team here and all of our pickers only a few days' notice.

It truly is a team effort to make a harvest happen and we are so thankful to our community for their patience and commitment.

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